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Credits: Produced for the CKUT community news collective by Aaron Lakoff. aaron (at) resist.ca

Notes: On November 27, 2007, the No One Is Illegal collective and its allies organised a picket and speak-out denouncing the Bouchard-Taylor Commission on "reasonable accommodations" as racist, sexist and xenophobic. Demonstrators addressed important issues like poverty, police brutality, sexism, racism, immigration status and more, through speeches, music and spoken word.

After several hours of protest and speaking out, at least 25 police officers entered to remove the demonstrators, a great many of whom were from racialised and migrant communities. The protestors promptly complied with an eviction order from the security officers at the Montreal Congress Center. As the protestors were approaching the exits, the police began targeting individuals for arrest without provocation. During the police attack, uniformed officers pushed and punched protesters, making use of their batons and also drawing their Taser guns. The protesters included young children (including an infant), as well as elders, one of whom was violently pushed to the ground by the police. A member of the No One Is Illegal collective in Montreal states: "The police assault was uncalled for, brutal and disgusting. The completely unjustified violence used and the degrading attitude and language of the officers were shameful."

This audio report was recorded at the protest on November 29, 2 nights after the police attack. Here protestors speak out against the racism and sexism of the Bouchard Taylor Comission, police brutality, and attempt to bring light to the everyday realities faced by migrant people in Montreal.

For background info on the "Reasonable Accomodation" debate in Quebec, see:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/11/reasonable-accomodation.html